If you break an egg above the water, it's going to fall some distance until it hits the bottom of the pot. This creates turbulence, which can create wispy fluff.
We've all seen poached eggs with almost no egg white and feathery white foam where the egg white should be. This is because the egg white has mixed with the hot water before setting. Reduce turbulence in the water to prevent the egg white from mixing with the water.
Overcooked poached eggs have rubbery whites and firm yolks, and just don't taste good. An ideal poached egg has a firm white and a gooey-but-still-runny yolk. Achieving perfectly poached eggs requires good timing — a minute or even 30 seconds of too much cook time can overdo it.
The swirling water will help prevent the white from "feathering," or spreading out in the pan.
Water is the way to go if your ultimate goal is to cook airy scrambled eggs that feel like a cloud and melt in your mouth. It's as simple as this: add a splash of water to your already-whisked eggs. When the water heats on the stove, it produces a steaming effect, which results in surprisingly fluffy scrambled eggs.
Boiling water can ruin your poached eggs
If your water is at a boiling temperature when you add eggs in, it could cause the egg white to break apart, the Kitchn notes. Instead of a beautifully poached egg, you'd be left with just "wispy bits" of egg white strewn throughout your pot.
Bring a pan of water filled at least 5cm deep to a simmer.
Don't add any salt as this may break up the egg white. Stir the water to create a gentle whirlpool to help the egg white wrap around the yolk.
If the water is hot enough (near boiling), salt increases the density of the cooking liquid just enough to make the egg bob to the surface when it's about perfectly done. While you can certainly poach eggs without the salt and vinegar, they'll want to sit on the bottom of the pan and thus cook unevenly.
When cooking poached eggs, the water should be kept at a low simmer at around 180°F (82°C). Doing so will prevent the egg whites from separating from the yolks. After the eggs have been added to the saucepan, gently cook at this temperature until they reach the desired doneness, anywhere between 3 and 5 minutes.
You can poach an egg without vinegar by substituting with lemon Juice! It might give your egg a slight lemony flavor, but lemon juice serves the same purpose as vinegar when poaching eggs.
To check if it's done, carefully remove your egg from the pan with a slotted spoon and give it a gentle prod with a teaspoon. If it feels too soft (use your instincts), put it back in the pan and give it a minute or so more to firm up.
Why Do You Put Vinegar In The Water To Poach An Egg? Vinegar helps the egg whites set while keeping them tender. If you don't add vinegar to the poaching water, the eggs may take longer to cook which may result in a perfectly cooked egg white and an overcooked yolk.
The general rule of thumb to make hard-boiled eggs is to boil (simmer) them for 13 minutes. A roaring boil can crack your eggs, so yes, first bring the water up to a boil, then let the eggs simmer for 13 minutes before transferring them to an ice bath.
Using milk as your poaching liquid will inject sweetness and creaminess into your morning egg. Melissa from Smells Like Brownies has a step-by-step guide to making the perfect milk poached eggs. Just heat milk with a some salt and spices, cook an egg in it, and you've got yourself a full-flavored poached egg.
"Vinegar is an inherently acidic material, so if we add a few drops of vinegar into that boiling water that is going to increase the rate of denaturing and it's going to make that happen faster and help the poached egg hold its shape better."
Salt increases the density of the water which makes more of the egg white float and splay out. In other words, a not-so-pretty poached egg. Verdict: Don't do it.
Olive oil-poached eggs are extra-rich
When poached in olive oil, according to Lifehacker, eggs turn out extra rich — like a fried egg, but with a soft, creamy yolk. Plenty of chefs are fans of poaching eggs in olive oil.
Let eggs come to room temperature before poaching, as that helps them cook more evenly. Take the eggs you want to poach out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before you plan to cook them. If your eggs are not farm-fresh, you can add a few drops of vinegar or lemon juice to the water.
To avoid getting a green yolk, cook your eggs just long enough to reach the desired doneness—no more. And quickly plunge the cooked eggs into cold water to stop the cooking process and minimize the iron-sulfur reaction. Some people also say that the cold-water plunge makes eggs easier to peel.